This should be the warm, fuzzy, feel-good story of the week: Craig Stadlerand Kevin Stadlerbecoming the first father-son tandem to play in the same Masters.

Only it's not that simple.

Craig Stadler, 60, earned his lifetime invitation by winning at Augusta National in 1982. This will be his 38th appearance in the tournament, and he has suggested it probably will be his last. He shot 79-79 last year to miss the cut for the sixth consecutive time.

Kevin Stadler, 34, will make his first Masters start after bouncing around the pro game for more than a decade. He landed his spot by winning the Phoenix Open on Feb. 2, setting up the unprecedented father-son angle.

"This is a very, very cool thing," Craig said at a joint news conference this week. "Thanks to Kev here, I got back to the press room for the first time in about 20 years. ... It's an awesome week."

Here it would be natural to add a similarly excited quote from Kevin - but he really didn't offer one.

The tension between father and son apparently traces to Craig Stadler's 2006 divorce from his longtime wife, Sue (Kevin's mom). When Craig remarried four years later, neither Kevin nor his brother, Chris, attended the wedding.

Asked in Phoenix about his relationship with his dad, Kevin said, "It's fine, but I'd rather not talk about it." He later added, "I'm just not as close to him now as I used to be, but he's still my dad. I still love him."

Eisenhower tree: Augusta National Chairman Billy Paynesaid the club has not decided whether to replace the famed Eisenhower Tree on No. 17. The tree, so named because President Dwight D. Eisenhower asked for its removal after watching numerous tee shots swatted away, was destroyed by an ice storm in February.

The sprawling, loblolly pine stood only 210 yards off the tee, so it impeded few of today's long hitters. There has been speculation about Masters officials planting another tree, or possibly adding a menacing bunker farther down the fairway.

"We are closely examining play and scoring on the hole this week," Payne said, "and will make a decision after careful observation and consideration."

Briefly: Nick Watney, who grew up in Dixon, will play in the Masters after missing the past four PGA Tour events. Watney withdrew from the Cadillac Championship on March 9 (back pain) and became a dad for the first time a few days later. ... Ryan Moorewon Wednesday's Par-3 Contest by shooting 6-under 21. No player has won the Par-3 and the Masters in the same year.

Craig Stadler and his son Kevin, seen during a practice round Monday, haven't exactly cozied up to each other this week. Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images